A Life is So Precious
by Halo is bae
Summary: AU. The Squad sent to retrieve the rogue Sasuke Uchiha has taken hits and not ones that can be so easily fixed with some rest and healing. In fact most of them won't even be able to make it back to their home. Unfortunately that's the life of a ninja, they were young, but they were prepared.


She watched them. All 5 of them walking away from the village. Her vision blurred from the excessive amount of tears that poured down her face. Neji, Choji, Shikamaru, Kiba and Na-Naruto. A squad of multiple strong genin and one chunin. Assembled for a single purpose, to bring back a fallen comrade and Sakura's one and only love. Sasuke.

The memory of what happened last night played in her head over and over again like a loop. Trying so hard to convince her squad mate and love interest to stay in the village with her. Telling Sasuke of her true feelings for him. Pleading not to break up their squad, no, their family. Whenever Sakura was with Naruto, Kakashi and Sasuke she felt as though it was her home away from home. She couldn't live without any of them.

In the end it didn't matter. Sasuke continued with his plan and left the hidden leaf village behind, his home, just like it was a simple task to complete. With no remorse shown.

Sakura felt like an idiot. She should've known something was wrong when Sasuke challenged Naruto to fight on top of the hospital. His eyes were full of hatred as he threatened Naruto with his chidori, more than hate in fact. Something a lot more sinister was embedded in his eyes. It wasn't like usual bicker between the genin, one trying to get a step up on the other. No Sasuke was no doubt looking to injure his comrade.

Naruto. Sakura focused her vision on her other squad member. He had his hands placed firmly on the back of his head as he walked off. She knew deep down that he was the only person that could convince Sasuke to return to the village, to return to her.

It was like Naruto knew that she was talking about him because he looked back. He made eye contact with her for a few seconds as he continued to walk down the road. No words were needed anymore, the young Uzumaki simply nodded with his usual determined face. That was enough to delay the continuation of any more tears.

Naruto, always confident. Sakura put her full soul into believing what he said to her. That he would bring back their lost comrade from the clutches of Orochimaru.

How did he do it? Always so full of energy and confidence. Never faltering when the odds looked very much against him. Yet, he came out of each and every conflict alive, injured, but alive surely. At first when this squad was formed she had it dead set that Naruto would ruin their squads reputation. Being a knucklehead and having to drag the boy along in their missions.

But it was the opposite. Watching through each and every mission, how strong he has become through the time. Now in the future, Sakura was eating her own words. Now, she was the one being dragged along. Instead of being looked up at by Naruto, she was now the one looking up to him.

With all her might she put on her most determined face and nodded back to Naruto. A smile formed on his face as he watched his pain filled friend nod back. Naruto turned his focus back on the road and started to come up with several ideas for getting into Sasuke's mind. Convincing him to come back.

The 5 man platoon at last exited Sakura's line of sight. She believed in all of them, they would bring back Sasuke to her. They just had to. Naruto never goes back on his word.

 **(*8*)**

The front door of Sakura's home opened and out walked that very person. Sakura rubbed her eyes of sleep and took a deep inhale of the morning air. It calmed her rising nerves for a few seconds. This was definitely one of the perks of living in the hidden leaf village. The air was pure and it seemed to always find a way to calm her.

Then it hit her. How could she be calm? It was about to hit the 2 week mark since the squad sent to retrieve Sasuke was sent off. 2 weeks and not a word or sign that they were successful in finding Sasuke. There wasn't even a sign to tell if they were still alive…

 _ **'NO!'**_ she screamed in her head. Thinking like that was idiotic. They would come back, come back alive and with Sasuke. Then everything could go back to normal, she could have her completed family once again.

Closing her front door Sakura began her morning walk through town. Watching as the rest of the village started to wake up and complete their morning routines. Whether it be heading for work, walking to school, opening their shops or helping the rebuilding process from when the sound and sand ninja attacked.

"Sakura!"

She turned around upon hearing her name and their stood none other than the 5th Hokage. "Lady Tsunade." Sakura bowed with respect, "good morning ma'am."

"Good morning to you as well Sakura. I see you are talking a walk on this lovely morning. Would you mind if I joined you?"

Sakura couldn't decline such a request from such a person and nodded. The two women continued the walk through the town. Passing by multiple civilians and as well as young kids in the academy that wanted to talk with the awesome 5th Hokage.

After all that it was close to the afternoon already and one way or another they ended up on the Hokage memorial mountain. Sakura leaned against the metal rail and looked out over the village and most importantly the entrance gate to the leaf village.

"I know you're worried" Sakura came out of her trance and looked to the right of her to see Tsunade leaning against the rail as well as looking to entrance just like her. "To tell you the truth Sakura, I am worried as well."

"It's natural for people to worry about the well beings of those close to us. Not knowing if they are in trouble or not is one of the hardest things to take in this line of work." Sakura tore her gaze off of the 5th Hokage and looked down to the ground in anguish. Lady Tsunade is right, not knowing if they are hurt or worse is eating away at her mind. Sakura just needs to know if they're all right.

"But". Sakura returned to looking at Tsunade and instead of that troubled look she sported just a moment ago it was now a small smile. "That doesn't mean we should ever give up on them. Just because they have taken a little longer then we both have liked doesn't mean that we should no longer believe in their abilities. I know that brat Naruto, he cares about Sasuke more than he would ever let on. When Jiraya and Naruto ventured out to retrieve me about making me the next Hokage all he would remind me about was getting back to the leaf village and healing Sasuke. No goofing around or taking any sort of brakes, no he wouldn't have any of that. Just get back to the village and help out his friend."

Sakura stared wide eyed. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, Naruto said all of that. Now a small smile played on Sakura. Naruto doesn't entirely hate Sasuke, Naruto acknowledges that Sasuke is his comrade and forever will be. "Naruto has sure grown up."

Sakura felt confidence swell within her. Knowing this gave her a boost. "I know for a fact now that Naruto will bring Sasuke back. When that happens as long as I still draw breath, I will never let Sasuke or Naruto leave my side ever again. They are both precious to me."

Tsunade's smile grew larger. "Lady Hokage!"

Both Tsunade and Sakura turned around to see a member of ANBU black ops kneeling before them. His fox mask was aiming down as to represent he was showing the most respect.

"What is it? I'm kind of busy at the moment."

"I'm sorry to bother you Lady Hokage but your presence is heavily needed at the gate."

"What is so dire that I am needed up there?"

There was a momentary silence as the ANBU black ops member prepared to give the dire news. "The squad sent out to retrieve Sasuke Uchiha has returned." Both Tsunade and Sakura inhaled sharply at the mention of the squad. "It does not look good."

That was the last straw. "Take us to them. Now!"

"Yes Lady Hokage."

The three ran across rooftops at breakneck speed. All the while Sakura tried to figure out what was going to happen. The ANBU black ops member said it didn't look good. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

With a quick glance to the streets below Sakura could see dozens of villagers running the same way they were. Like flock all heading towards the same area. It seems that whatever is happening with the return of Naruto and everyone else they were making one hell of an entrance.

The last roof top they were on came to an end. Below them was the main street of the village. Hundreds of villagers stood on the side of the street as if making some sort of path. Tsunade was fed up now, "Well where are they?!"

The fox masked black ops member merely pointed down the road. Sakura and Tsunade followed his finger and they came upon the answer to Tsunade's question.

Walking in the middle of the road was none other than Neji Hyuga. He was covered from head to toe in a combination of dirt, scratches, bruises and both dried and fresh blood. Taking a closer look Tsunade noticed that three kunai were lodged into his left leg while another two were lodged in his right shoulder. He was beaten up real bad and another thing that was out of place was the large white sheet he was carrying bridal style, something underneath it was making an indent. It looked like… a body!

Without another thought Tsunade jumped from the roof top and landed in the middle of the road. Not soon after she heard another pair of feet hit the ground behind her. No doubt it was Sakura for she should have also seen the state Neji was in. In fact a fool could see the state he was in. The entrance to the village was about a half a mile back from the way he came and he's been walking forward like this for this long with no one stopping him to help. She was going to discipline the guards later about helping the wounded.

She ran forward to get in front of Neji's walking. "Neji!" Tsunade yelled when she stopped in front of the young boy.

Neji didn't say a word. In fact he continued his walking like he was in some sort of trance. His only objective continue carrying the white cloth and walk forward.

Tsunade noticed this and forcefully put her hands on his shoulders to stop his advance and it worked. "Neji!"

Sakura at this time finally caught up with Lady Tsunade and looked at Neji. Never before has Sakura seen Neji hurt this badly, he was always talked highly of because of his reputation to barely ever be touched in combat. Besides this she was more worried about the fact that he was the only one here. Where was everyone else? Also what was the Hyuga clan member carrying?

Neji seemed to register his name this time and looked up. He smiled "Sakura, Lady Tsunade. It's good to see the two of you." His voice was coarse and sounded broken, like he was barely able to spill those words out of his mouth.

"Neji, you're injured. Where is the rest of your squad and Sasuke?"

The name Sasuke seemed to spark something in the eyes of Neji, Tsunade noted that. "Seeing as though we have returned from our mission is it safe to assume that I can give the mission report."

Tsunade was really nervous and confused now, she spared a look behind her at Sakura and noticed she too was feeling the same way about what was happening. The two females needed to know and right now Neji seemed to have something wrong with him. "Yes Neji you can tell me the mission report."

"Yes Lady Hokage. The mission set upon us by the 5th Hokage, to retrieve Sasuke Uchiha and bring him back to the leaf village by any means necessary… Has failed."

Lady Tsunade and Sakura felt their heartbeats quicken immensely. "Kiba Inuzuka, Choji Akimichi, Shikamaru Nara and…" He moved forward the white cloth away from his chest as his arms started to shake "Naruto Uzumaki were all killed."

Nothing. That's what Tsunade and Sakura felt at that moment. The world seemed to stop moving at that exact moment. Neither of them wanting to move, fearing that they would fall.

Sakura felt fresh hot tears fall from her face and stared at the white cloth. She now could see the indentation marks that formed the shape of a body. She didn't want to believe it, not one bit.

As if reading her mind Lady Tsunade snatched the white cloth like a greedy child taking his allowance money and set the cloth down to the floor. Quickly she started to remove the white cloth not wanting to believe what was about to meet her eyes. _'Not again'_ she thought, not wanting to lose another one close to her like she did with her brother and her lover. Ever since the day she gave Naruto that dreaded necklace she has kept a close eye on him. Wanting nothing to happen to the boy that she has come to see as a son, a son she was not ready to let go yet, if at all.

The cloth came off and the face became clear to the world. Sakura couldn't believe it. Laying there covered in blood was Naruto Uzumaki, her comrade and her family. She couldn't handle any more heartbreak and fell to her knees her head landing right next to his and started to cry uncontrollably.

Tsunade simply stared at the corpse of her son. There seemed to be multiple marks from kunai embedding into his stomach as well as his shoulders and arms. His blonde spiky hair was covered in his own dried life juices. She sat there unmoving as the rage built up inside of her, she was going to kill whoever did this and she had an idea as to who it was.

"Neji…"

Tsunade looked up at the boy with nothing but a few tears and hatred boiling in her eyes. Sakura as well looked up but her eyes had nothing but tears and despair. "Continue with your report."

"We made direct contact with Sasuke Uchiha". Both Tsunade and Sakura had mixed feelings about where this was heading now. "Naruto tried to talk sense into Sasuke about coming back to the village. He tried to tell him about all the things they've been through and how it was a waste to throw away all of it. That didn't work, he caught us off guard."

"Are you saying that Sasuke Uchiha attacked your squad?" Tsunade was basically spitting hatred from her words.

Sakura pleaded with every fiber of her being that Sasuke was not the cause of this. She glanced down at Naruto and was only rewarded with more tears.

"Yes. Sasuke Uchiha is responsible for the deaths of the other squad members."

Sakura felt her heart break into pieces. "We fell one by one. Naruto being the last one besides myself to fight against the rogue ninja. Their fight was like anything I have ever seen, the power between the two of them. They nearly destroyed the forest it was so powerful. Naruto let his guard down, he tried to convince Sasuke one last time to come back to the village. Saying that he only killed Kiba, Choji and Shikamaru because Orochimaru was controlling him. That Lady Hokage would understand and everything would be set straight. Something about how their squad and family would be restored."

Sakura felt a small smile tug at her lips. Naruto never goes back on his word and even then he tried to bring Sasuke back with him.

"But." A small tear fell from the eye of the Neji Hyuga and landed on Naruto's orange jumpsuit. "That was the last mistake Naruto will make. That coward took that moment to appear behind Naruto and… he used chidori."

Tsunade, without a second to spare turned Naruto over slightly and froze when she saw the mark right where Neji said it would be. A large hole was burrowed into the middle of his back. Dried blood surrounded the whole and on closer inspection it looked like a small piece of her son's spine was sticking out.

Never before has anyone seen the 5th Hokage cry like she was about to. Tears very much like Sakura's fell down and onto the boy she was now cradling in her arms, almost like if she held onto his body he wouldn't leave her. She was being selfish again but she no longer cared.

Sakura saw the scene play out in front of her. Lady Tsunade cared about Naruto a lot and that only made the pain worse for Sakura as well as of course the 5th Hokage.

Lady Tsunade needed to do her own synopsis of the boy, but the way he looked and how cold his skin felt. She feared to finally know if he was really gone from this world. She placed him down on the road and right before her own inspection started Lady Tsunade looked to his left hand and saw it was semi clutched like he trying for dear life to hold onto something but could no longer do it. She opened his fist and nearly had to fight off more tears as the necklace she bestowed to him sat there. His dried blood covering most of the blue but what little was left continued to shine in the daylight that just met it.

Tsunade smiled at Naruto. Even in dire times he thought about her it seemed.

Lady Tsunade focused her chakra into her right hand and began to cut the front of his nearly destroyed jumpsuit as well as his black undershirt. His bare chest lay before her as did three kunai holes and bruises. She clenched her hands in pure anger, Sasuke was going to pay and pay hard.

She put her ear to his chest and focused her chakra on her ear, so she could hear even the faintest of heart beats. Sakura meanwhile placed Naruto's head on her knees as she subconsciously started to brush the dried blood out of his hair.

 _'Sakura I see the pain you are in and knowing this I want you to know that I will bring back Sasuke, no matter what! Believe it!'_

The memory played in her head as she looked over the confident and energetic Naruto that left the village in search of his friend. His smile wide and his signature thumbs up that he gave everyone. Now in the present was a Naruto she never wanted to see. All beaten up with multiple wounds inflicted not from some random enemy, but from a comrade. A comrade they both trained with and learned to live with. That was the worst part of it all.

Tsunade listened for dear life. She needed a _'thump'_. Her psyche would return to normal if she just heard one. It couldn't end like this, he wanted to become Hokage. Make it know that he was strong and have the people respect him instead of treat him like trash.

 _'Thump'_

Tsunade's eyes flew open. Did she hear that or did her mind trick her, making her believe in something that wasn't true yet again. She continued to listen just in case that was the matter, for seconds she waited and just when she was about to call herself a nut case. It happened.

 _'Thump'_

"He's alive!"

Sakura and Neji as well as the crowd that was around them all couldn't believe it. They felt a huge weight lift from their chest. Sakura continued to cry as she played with Naruto's hair, Neji felt most of his guilt ease away before dropping to his knees. "Neji! Are you alright?"

Like the wind 6 members of ANBU black ops appeared in a circle around Lady Hokage. "Your orders Lady Hokage?" What seemed to be the Captain of the black ops stepped forward, wearing a white robe and a rabbit mask.

"Take Naruto Uzumaki and Neji Hyuga to the hospital. Place both of them in intensive care and tell the doctors to keep them alive until I get there."

The ANBU black ops listened to the order. Sakura let the black ops do they're assignment. Three black ops picked up Naruto carefully. Two at his feet and one at his head. While two black ops threw Neji's arms around their shoulder and carried him.

The Captain let his subordinates pick up the injured and waited for them to be ready. They were about to transport to the hospital immediately when they were stopped.

"Wait. Captain."

The Captain looked back at Lady Hokage to see her still in the same position on her knees, looking at the spot Naruto Uzumaki's body once lay. "Yes Lady Hokage? You have another order?"

"It's more of a decree."

Sakura looked at the shaking body of Lady Tsunade. Something in her was brewing and it wasn't good that was for sure.

 **"From this moment on Sasuke Uchiha is an enemy of the Village hidden in the leaves. He is forbidden from entering our borders. If he is seen then he either to be captured or killed. Is that clear?"**

Sakura never thought that she would ever hear a sentence like that, Sasuke seeming like the last one to ever betray the village. Sakura wanted to defend Sasuke like she normally would but this time words wouldn't come out of her mouth. The only thing that entered her mind when she thought of Sasuke was the mangled body of Naruto. So this once nothing was said from Sakura.

"Understood Lady Hokage."

The ANBU black ops disappeared leaving Tsunade to loath and Sakura to cry about her broken squad. The crowd around them dispersed leaving the two in the middle of the street.


End file.
